March 2011 Blog Posts (15)

We gotta radioactive for a tad here. The whole subject is closer to home than it might seem.

As the nuclear crisis in Japan continues to pulsate – one day looking a bit better, the next day melting back down to critical levels -- I’m one of the many folks worrifully wondering about the destination of all the seawater being used to cool down the plant. There are somewhat…

Spent the first half of the days working with a young crew of independent moviemakers. They're doing an education video on Holgate. Stu D. helped me out, as the crew out of Philly interviewed and videoed adjacent to the worst erosion area, where the Osprey Nest used to be. By the by, the area is worse than ever, as the refuge gets ready to shut down the south end next week. Obviously, nothing will be done any time soon to lessen the disappearance…

I’m going to preface this by assuring I’m a properly tattooed, card-carrying American faithfulist. But, the Japanese have personally schooled me in nationalism and quiet courage, via their awesomely cool (literally) countenance in the face of catastrophes wrapped within a tragedy.…

Over the weekend, I stopped by the home of Alfie S. to see some of the newest fish decoys and lures being invented by this Tuckerton craftsman. You might have seen The SandPaper article on his out-there creations, with very unnatural seeming colors – though the shapes hold kinda true to life, be they mice, frogs, minnows.

When you see his decoys or fishing plugs close up and personal, it’s obvious that they have a cool coating of fantasy, both in…

Amazing days, all things considered -- namely, how recently it had been cold and junky out there and how soon it might well be cold and junky again. That could-be cold crap is scheduled for later in the week. In the interim it’s manly early springish, before the possibility of a few white flakes mixed in with a late-week cold rain.

I got a goodly dose of outdoors yesterday and today, with yesterday seeing me do some minor pickereling. I was working…

I realize not everyone is into the woods quite to the degree I am. Even outdoorsy anglers aren’t always that tuned into the outback, even though they live and breathe the water and fishing there-upon. Still, I just can’t let a woods day like this one go by without giving it a huge thumb’s up – and some plaudits.

It was just super in the portion of Pinelands where I hung out a goodly chunk of the late-afternoon and toward the darkness. The air…

I’d like to say this first blush of spring – and the wonderful addition of reapportioned daylight, thanks to Daylight Savings Time – means fishing is back upon us. Not so, at least on the saltwater front. However, the Pinelands lakes are alive with small pickerel. Sadly, there are damn few large pickerel left, due in large part to thoroughly careless unhooking methods when anglers (allegedly) catch-and-release pickerel.

Sat. March 12, 2011 -- Great day, once you adapted to the chilly wind. I was a tad under the weather but made a quick jaunt over to an interesting wilderness parcel in Manahawkin, saved from development by the Ocean County Board of Freeholders. It's located off Old Bay Avenue and is loaded with wetlands. Its outback look belies the rapid gush of highway traffic within easy hearing distance. While there, I saw/heard the season's first bank frogs -- hitting the water after I spooked them. Hard to… Continue

I took in my first concert of the year late today. A huge chorus of wood frogs (Rana silvatica) were absolutely in maximal voice, as loud and numerous as I’ve ever heard these earliest of spring singers. I’ve written about seeing them out and about when skim ice was still on ponds and puddles. There’s no doubt the mildness and the tons of rain are everything a waking wood frog could ask for. Spring peepers are sure to sound off in the very near future.

Is it just me or is the world becoming weirder by the minute? It recently hit new heights on my freakometer -- via ice cream, much less! In fact, I’ve had my ice cream-worshipping realm rocked silly, via London and Tokyo. And there is even a very fishy angle amid the frozen freakiness.

Thursday, March 03, 2011:Cold last night but another beaut today, through north winds will be real brisk. After work today, I’m off to an archeological dig on the mainland -- so I’ll have to miss mudflat clamming, which I hear has been very decent of late. I do have some oystering scheduled this weekend, weather and low tides permitting. Of LBI import, I had a second bike stolen form my yard this week. Turns out petty thieves are heavily working Ship Bottom and much of LBI. Per the… Continue

Wednesday, March 02, 2011: What a day for outdoor knife building. I should know since I finished not one but two highly complex bakelite handles to (soon) hold carving blades. Craving knives, technically blades, are essentially finely tuned whittling tools for plug shaping, decoy fine detailing and purely artistic efforts.

Things have gotten very elaborate in the carving/whittling realm. Wood carving blades now include roughout carver, general carver, draper detailer, big…

I GOT OPEC PAINS: In an effort to fire up anglers to thing about fishing in 2011, I chatted with a few casters about what could be a catastrophic gas price explosion at the pump. Face it, we’re already seeing petrol costs partying into the wee hours, i.e. 3 to 4. It sure looks like they’ll be staying up all night, looking for ways to get even higher. Gas prices on…